Photo: Joshua Giant
by Steve Desroches
It’s a misty morning in Provincetown, the day after a night full of lightning and tropical downpours. Weird weather for sure. The strange electrical storm somehow fried Seamen’s Bank’s system for all branches to close and many throughout the Cape found themselves without phone service. But as is the case in a tourist-oriented economy, the show must go on, and delivery men dodge massive puddles as they deliver cases of beer while shops owners open their doors hoping the overcast day means heavy traffic flow once the tourists wake and hit the streets. Ready for the day ahead, too, is Devin Marchany, who is in the process of transforming into his drag persona Roxy Pops, at the Post Office Cabaret, sitting at the bar with a full face of makeup on, a blonde wig by his side, and a beaming smile.
Any drag queen will tell you that getting into drag before noon is an accomplishment worthy of a medal or a special citation. And not just because drag performers keep late hours, but wearing all the drag accoutrements like heavy lashes, full foundation, padding, wigs, and sequins in the muggy maritime heat is uncomfortable to say the least, never mind having to hit Commercial Street to bark for your show. But the performance in question is DIVA!, a high energy hit featuring Roxy Pops along with Qya Cristal and Delta Miles, a trio of powerhouse vocalists as well as dear friends. And never mind summer heat lightning, when you’re a part of a successful show in Provincetown’s mega-crowded competitive drag scene, it produces an electricity all its own, and that keeps you going in what can be a “grueling” schedule, says Marchany. The schedule of a drag queen in Provincetown can be akin to that of a Broadway actor, truly, says Marchany. They might not do eight shows a week, but all that is required to pull off a good summer run amounts to the same amount of hours of work….except you don’t see Audra McDonald handing out flyers in Times Square to get folks into Gypsy. But Roxy and friends are about to hit the street to promote their Wednesday matinee show, a time slot aimed at the day-trippers who traditionally are gone by evening showtimes, which means getting in full drag before most of the prospective audience has even gotten out of bed.
“I just keep working, keep at it,” says Marchany. “It’s how I was raised, by New England parents who said if you’re not working all the time, you’re not working.”
Sitting in a pink t-shirt that says “Key West,” Marchany smiles and dips his head to the side when thinking about his work ethic, and that of his co-stars. He’s been performing as Roxy for fifteen years, starting in Boston and then moving across Cape Cod Bay to Provincetown. Years of hard work led to this moment as did a bit of kismet that blew across the bay as Marchany knew Qya and Delta back in Boston when they were all baby drag queens. Now in its third year, DIVA! is a standout show with all-live vocals. This year’s production explores that bawdy and ballsy side of life. The DIVA! trio is gaining traction as they’re now on a Lavender Circuit loop between Provincetown and Puerto Vallarta, garnering fans and accolades. It’s a crazy world and it’s good to have your fellow queens at your side, says Marchany, as they maneuver a fickle industry. Friendship and community is the glue that keeps DIVA! together, as each makes room for the other to shine. Marchany knew the show was something special by the audience’s reactions that first year, providing high-octane fuel to further drive their ambitions, both as a group and as solo artists with their own distinct viewpoints.
“When we got the reaction from the community, it was just…they’d never seen anything like this,” says Marchany. “We really focused on making it a full production. And I think we’ve succeeded in that, in bringing something new to Provincetown, something all our own.”
A “theater kid” at heart, drag has been a way for Marchany to not only fulfill his dreams of working on the stage, but to have an adventure. While performing as a child and then a young adult, drag wasn’t even on the radar. With how much the perception of drag has changed, at least amongst those that are fans, no longer is it seen as a side project or a consolation prize for those with greater ambitions. Drag can now be, and is unto itself, a goal with unprecedented resources and attention. And here’s Marchany, in one of the epicenters of global drag, being able to work with people he loves in a medium he adores, with really no limits on his creativity, intelligence, and ambitions.
“I don’t make a five-year plan because no matter what I envision, whatever happens usually turns out better,” says Marchany. “I just remember that, and I just keep working.”
Roxy Pops performs in DIVA!: High Notes, Low Standards with Qya Cristal and Delta Miles at the Post Office Cabaret, 303 Commercial St., Friday and Saturday at 7 p.m. and Wednesday at 3 p.m. now through September 13. Tickets ($35/$45) are available at the box office and online at postofficecafe.net. For more information call 508.487.0006. Roxy also performs at the Say Gay Drag Brunch and the Post Office Café every Thursday at 12 p.m. now through September 4. Entrance is $25 (does not include food and beverage). For more information or to make reservations call 508.487.0008 or visit www.postofficecafe.net
